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Sabotage - film review

David Ayer's violent crime drama sees Arnold Schwarzenegger in typical tough guy mode but it's saved by an immensely appealing turn from Olivia Williams as a homicide detective sent to investigate a horrible death

In the middle of this bone-crunchingly violent crime drama, Arnold Schwarzenegger gazes at a fortysomething woman he's trying to impress and implies that she looks rough. (To be specific, he says he can tell she's a drinker from the state of her skin.) The woman is gobsmacked and so are we. The film's attempt at dirty realism feels like a bold move.

As those who've seen End of Watch will know, writer-director David Ayer is fascinated by male bonding, class, race and America's so-called war on drugs. He begins Sabotage with a botched $10million heist and seems, at first, to revel in the tough-nut camaraderie of a rogue group of federal agents, led by a big-daddy figure known as Breacher (Schwarzenegger). Increasingly, though, we're asked to side with Caroline (Olivia Williams), an Atlanta homicide detective sent to investigate the horrible death of a member of Breacher's "family".

As the body count rises, Caroline (the one with the ropy complexion) and her assistant (the wonderful Harold Perrineau) have amusing discussions about language. Their banter regarding the word "booyah" is a highlight.

Well-known actors under the age of 50 rarely play characters who are physically flawed, unless prosthetics are involved — you wonder if the idiosyncratic Williams will ever be cast as a cutie again. Still, because she’s talented and the lines are good, she’s immensely appealing; if you love Sofie Grabol in The Killing, you’ll be entranced.

In fact, the film falters every time she disappears. Arnie does his best but, as so often, turns out to be limited in scope: when called upon to look upset, his inner cyborg punctures the mood; when he sighs, we snigger. His baggage derails an already far-fetched plot. Rumour has it that, in the original ending, Breacher and Caroline shared centre stage. At test screenings, Arnie fans were less than impressed, so reshoots followed. The new finale (complete with our man chewing on a cigar) is a joke.

For the past two years, the ex-Governator has been in comeback mode but, torn between rehashing old routines and nailing something new, he’s got himself (and us) confused. Sabotage tanked in the US. Contemporary audiences may love Schwarzenegger in five-minute doses — his cameo in this summer’s Expendables 3 has the internet buzzing — but, as a leading man, he’s the one who looks all washed-up.